Silver and Black Heart Attack
by Black Licorice Addict
Summary: Adrien gets a new mode of transportation, and the shenanigans that follow are something neither he nor Marinette could have foreseen.
1. Spring

**A/N: My integration into a new fandom is not complete without a story involving motorcycles. A few things to mention, but for the sake of this story Marinette's bakery is several blocks away from school. I realize that the legal driving age (driving by yourself that is) for France is 18, but Adrien is obviously not that old in this fic. Your welcome to assume the laws have changed for the sake of this story, or that he is able to get away with it because he's kinda famous.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own the plot. I don't even own a Ducati. Sad day.**

* * *

 _Don't wait for an invitation._

 _No need for reservation._

 _This life is an exploration_

 _And you gotta see what I see in you._

 _-Capital Cities_

* * *

Black and silver paint gleamed in the brilliant afternoon sunlight, highlighting the sleek contours of the machine in front of him.

Adrien was in love again.

Power and speed and stealth practically radiated off the motorcycle; Ducati stamped across the side in bold manuscript. It was only supposed to be a background prop for the photo shoot that day, and it wasn't even the blond's prop to begin with.

Still, he couldn't help but let out a sigh as he continued to admire it up close, makeup crew forgotten. His overt staring did not go unnoticed.

"It's a gorgeous thing, no?" a thick Italian accent inquired on his left. Adrien was startled to find a middle age gentleman looking down at him with a knowing glance before turning toward the bike. "Beautifully crafted to perfection. Handles the roads of cities and mountains like a dream. Not to mention room for two if you wish to take your _bella signora_ with you," he winked.

Adrien could feel his face flush slightly at the thought of his Lady, arms wrapped tightly around him as they wove in and out of the quaint Parisian streets. He let out a long-suffering sigh, breaking the daydream. "When is this model even scheduled for release?"

"About eight months," the older man replied, trying not to laugh at the boy's despondent expression. "When do you turn eighteen?"

"Two years," Adrien grumbled dejectedly. Muffled calls in the distance announced that his makeup artist had noticed his disappearance and that he needed to be making his way back toward the temporary tent.

"You are Adrien Agreste, no?" his companion inquired. Adrien nodded. Gingerly, the man extracted a wallet from inside his suit jacket. "Have your agent call me. I think we can come to some sort of agreement." He winked after handing Adrien a business card.

The blond could feel his jaw drop when he read the fine print on the sleek card stock. The guy was on the marketing board for Ducati.

"I will definitely be in touch," he smiled, tucking the card away and walking back to the frazzled-looking makeup stylist.

* * *

There was surprisingly little arm pulling for Adrien to get the bike. His father seemed pleased enough to have the Ducati connections strengthened when they called to have Adrien model their new line of bikes. Gabriel Agreste even designed a special edition leather jacket to go with Adrien's promotional shoots. In return, Adrien not only became the face of the new line, but also received his dream bike and some cash considerations.

Which was how Marinette came across it parked outside the school one beautiful spring day. Normally she didn't spare motorbikes second glances unless they zoomed by her on the streets, but for whatever reason the glint of silver caught the early morning light along with her attention.

And though she would never admit it, the smooth coils of black and silver reminded her of her feline partner.

"Hey, Marinette!" Alya called, walking over to her best friend. "Whatcha looking at-whoa! Sweet bike! That's new."

"Mmmmhmmmm."

"Since when are you into motorcycles?" the red head asked slyly.

"I'm not!" the dark haired girl denied. "But I can appreciate art when I see it. I wonder who it belongs to," Marinette murmured, new fashion ideas bouncing around her brain as she resisted running her fingers over the logo.

"Well, we have all day to find out!" the journalist smiled, tugging her arm toward the entrance. "But we don't have all day to get to our first class before we're late. Let's go!"

Reluctantly, Marinette spared the motorcycle one last glance before allowing herself to be dragged inside.

Alya, despite her journalistic tenacity, forgot about their plans to discover the owner of the new bike halfway through lunch. There was too much new footage from the akuma attack that weekend for her to analyze with her best friend. The thought of the motorcycle was even pushed to the back burner of Marinette's mind, simmering on low for future pondering. She was too preoccupied on giving Alya wild goose ideas to chase regarding Ladybug's identity.

But there it stood in all of its shiny newness after the last bell, waiting to be ridden off into the afternoon traffic. Alya was still inside, so Marinette quickly produced her pencil and sketchbook, leaning against the cement banister and hoping to jot down some of that morning's inspiration before it disappeared with its muse.

So intent was she on her task that she didn't hear anyone stop next to her.

"You like the motorcycle?" came a sly voice to her right.

"It's beautiful," she nodded, pencil stopped mid-line before she realized she had been caught ogling. Slowly, the young girl turned to look over her shoulder, her stomach knotting itself ten times over.

Adrien was smiling amusedly, and she had to blink several times before she could wipe the image of another boy giving her the same look before. He had a helmet tucked under one arm, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed it earlier-probably because it was stashed in his locker all day.

"I-I'm sorry!" She stammered out, quickly shoving the notebook in her bag. "I didn't mean to be rude!"

The blond waved his hand good-naturedly. "It's not a problem." His face morphed slightly, hesitantly, as an idea began to form. "You...You wouldn't want to go for a ride, would you? I could take you home if you want..." A hand came to tangle nervously with the hair at the back of his head as he fought a light blush.

Marinette's face glowed with the heat of a supernova. "Really?" she squeaked out before clearing her throat and trying again. "I mean... Are you sure? You only have one helmet..." Her eyes drifted up, finally brave enough to meet his gaze.

"I'll be careful. Promise," he smiled, and she didn't think it could get any brighter as he pulled the helmet over her head.

Numbly, Marinette followed him, wondering if she had accidentally fainted and was dreaming up this entire scenario. She didn't want to leave Alya hanging, but she also knew that her best friend would kill her personally if she didn't go with Adrien right now. The heroine managed to type out a quick text before arriving at the motorcycle.

 _Found a ride home. Will fill you in. Sorry! -M_

"Ready?"

Marinette blinked up from her phone screen. Adrien was already sitting on the bike, patiently waiting for her to finish.

"Y-Yeah! Sorry," she carefully slid in the seat behind him, gingerly adjusting her bookbag across her back before tentatively wrapping both arms around his middle. Any minute now her heart was going to combust and she was going to wake up.

He took this as an affirmative to continue, which Marinette was thankful for as she was focusing all her energy on not hyperventilating and falling off the bike.

The machine roared to life beneath them. Adrien flicked the kickstand up with a twitch of his ankle, and the duo was off down the street, Marinette subconsciously tightening her hold around his waist.

"Am I going too fast?" Adrien shouted into the wind, slowing his speed as they came to the stoplight.

"No! I-It's fine!" Marinette yelled back, her voice even more muffled by the helmet. "You can go faster!"

She wasn't sure that he had heard her until he turned around, his smirk worthy of Cat Noir. "Faster, you say?"

The light changed and they were off like a shot, Marinette's squeal of surprise muffled by the wind whipping around them along with several car horns. In and out of traffic they wove, their school a speck in the side mirror.

Gradually, Marinette adjusted to the sensation of flying down the streets of Paris at ridiculous speeds ( _that liar said he'd be careful,_ she mentally chided) and relaxed her grip around the boy in front of her, moving her head from its initial position pressed into his spine to look around and take in the sites. Spring was in full swing, and the fruit tree blossoms flew through the air as they rushed by, like skirts billowing over ventilation shafts in the sidewalks.

The dark haired girl began to observe the subtle movements of his torso as he leaned into to turns, and she followed his example, relishing in the laughter she felt more than heard bubbling inside his chest.

"You've got it," he encouraged, pulling to a stop as the light changed to red. A sudden thought seemed to occur to him as he swiveled around to look at the girl behind him.

"Um, Marinette, what's your address again?"

Had he been Cat Noir, Marinette would have face-palmed her partner in the forehead. But as it was, her crush was the one asking, and so she lifted the visor and told him, watching as that mischievous grin tugged at his lips once more.

"I think I know a shortcut."

Adrien's shortcut was the longest route Marinette had ever taken to get home from school. Their winding detour involved two back-tracks down side streets and a handful of illegal turns. Despite the roundabout way they arrived, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face when she disembarked, removing the helmet and handing it back to her blond classmate. She could feel her hair sticking up at odd angles, so Marinette undid the ties while talking to her cohort.

"Thanks, Adrien, I had a blast," she beamed, pleased that she had managed to get a full sentence out without breaking down and mumbling gibberish.

"N-No problem," Adrien stuttered, entranced with the causal grace his classmate's hair framed her cheeks before she pulled it back into its customary pigtails. A matching grin broke out on his face as he fiddled with the helmet. "We should do it again sometime, yeah?"

Marinette nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Yes! Definitely."

Carefully, Adrien pulled the helmet on and revved his bike. "See you tomorrow, princess!" With a two finger salute, he was off down the road at the same ridiculous speeds as before.

Her heart tripped over itself for a brief moment. Did he...did he just call her _princess_?

She shook her head as though to rid herself of the thought. It was just a coincidence. Besides, her phone had been buzzing angrily in her bag for the last ten minutes. There were more pressing thoughts to deal with at the moment. Like how she was going to tell Alya about everything that had happened.

* * *

Five full minutes of squealing on the phone the night before followed by a two hour long session of gossip that was only interrupted by dinner did nothing to deter the sheer energy with which Alya accosted her best friend the following morning on their way to school. It was like Marinette hadn't spent hours last night going over every detail with equal excitement.

Still, Alya's joy for her friend was infectious, and both girls started the day in relatively high spirits. But their good moods were doomed when they arrived into the classroom in time to overhear Chloe complaining to Adrien that he hadn't even taken her for a ride on his new motorcycle.

"I only have one helmet, Chloe," Adrien replied calmly, setting his stuff down and pulling out the necessary homework to turn in. Seeing that Chloe was about to argue the point, Adrien added, "And I have a full afternoon booked, so it'll have to be some other time."

Chloe, though not happy with his response, didn't have time to argue further as the instructor had just entered and was already demanding their assignments.

Alya yanked Marinette down behind the desk under the pretense of pulling stuff out of their book bags. "Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, Mari, but didn't he give his _only_ helmet to _you_ yesterday?"

Marinette socked Alya in the shoulder. "Shhhh! She'll hear you!" she hissed at the red head. Alya shrugged and bid a good morning to their friends in the row in front.

"Morning Nino, Adrien. Do you mind passing our homework up front?" Alya was already brandishing a small pile of papers in the boys' general direction.

Nino grabbed the assignments from both girls before turning to face Adrien. "I can't believe you're gonna let Chloe ride your bike before your best bro," he directed at the blond in mock indignation. "Cold, man. Cold."

"You can have dibs," Adrien replied mildly, handing over his homework to Nino as well. "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

"Working at the record store," Nino groaned before walking to the teachers desk. "Maybe Friday?" He asked on his way back to his seat.

"Leaving early for a shoot," came the blond's gloomy reply.

"She's totally gonna ride that bad boy before me, and then it's gonna be covered in Chloe germs," Nino whined in dramatic fashion.

The Parisian hero rolled his eyes. "I promise to not let Chloe ride my bike before you."

The DJ threw his arms around Adrien's neck and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "You're the best, man," he pretended to tear up, causing Alya to snort behind him in attempt to mask her laughter.

"Laugh all you want, Lois Lane," Nino's fingers formed into a hand gun, and he winked at Alya. "But I get to ride the bike before you."

Alya's smile became even wider. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but Marinette's got you beat."

Nino spun around so quickly in his seat that Adrien had whiplash from watching. "DUDE! You sly dog! I had no idea!"

Marinette let out a high pitched "eep!" and Adrien hardly had time to stutter out a reply when their teacher interjected.

"Glad to know you four are so enthusiastic about medieval French history. Nino, perhaps you would like to lead the class in the discussion of the initiation of Renaissance art and how Jean Fouquet contributed?"

The boy in question shot Adrien a look that plainly said 'We're going to talk about this new development with Marinette later' before turning to the front and trying to dig through his brain on the specific manuscript illuminations the painter was noted for.

* * *

"Dude, I can't believe you did that," Nino socked Adrien's bicep after the model had recounted the afternoon drive with Marinette the day before.

Adrien just groaned and closed his eyes, taking another bite of his gourmet sandwich and wishing his best friend wasn't so loud. He was sure the DJ's voice was carrying over to the other side of the courtyard where several of their other friends had gathered for lunch.

"C'mon, Nino. Keep it down. This doesn't need to be gossiped around the school for the next few weeks," Adrien pleaded.

"So, what? You have a thing for her? How long has this been going on?" The brunette demanded, removing his hat to readjust it.

"WHAT? NO!" Adrien yelped, covering his mouth before taking his voice down several notches. "It's nothing like that. I told you, she was admiring the bike, like everyone else," he shot Nino a pointed look, "and I just thought maybe she'd want to go for a ride."

Nino snorted at how oblivious his friend was. Even more surprising was the fact that Marinette had managed to hold on the entire time and hadn't spontaneously combusted. "Buuuuuuut..." the DJ drawled, pausing for effect when he finally had Adrien's attention, "...You totally wanna take her for a ride again. Am I right?"

Adrien was about to protest the double innuendo, but the rant died behind his perfectly straight teeth when Nino held up his hands in what could either have been a surrender or _'you need to figure out your feels, man'_ sort of way. So the blond paused, glancing surreptitiously across the courtyard where the object of their discussion and her best friend were currently chatting.

His voice sounded faraway when he responded to Nino, and his friend almost missed the hushed affirmative. "Yeah."

Later that afternoon, when Adrien wove through the streets on his metal steed, a bike shop window display caught his attention. One illegal turn and a sketchy parking job later, the model was inside, looking at the different helmets. He was tempted to get another black one to match his, but the one that initially caught his attention from the window continued to draw him back.

"How much for that one?"

* * *

Wednesday, that happy middle hump of the week that indicated the weekend was within reach, became an unsuspecting turning point for Adrien. He paced outside after the final bell, his body trembling with nervous energy as he waited for his classmate to exit on her usual route.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for Marinette, who was digging through her bookbag, as she casually strolled down the cement stairs. She hadn't seen him.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien called, his jitters coming to a halt as the girl in question froze in place, her eyes cautiously meeting his gaze as though unsure he was really talking to her. He waved her over in what he hoped was a casual manner.

Deciding it was safe to approach, Marinette made her way toward the blond, a question forming in her eyes. "Hey," she mumbled softly, a pink blush coating the freckles of her cheeks. "What's up?"

"Well..." Adrien drawled, excitement overcoming his anxiousness, "I picked this up the other day-" he unlocked the sleek red helmet from his bike -"and was wondering if maybe you'd like to help me break it in?"

His smile could have powered all of Paris's lights for a year, and Marinette knew she would be powerless to refuse. "I..I'd really like that," she accepted the helmet, sliding it over her head.

She didn't think it was possible for his grin to get any wider, but she was proven wrong.

"Really? Awesome! And it has this sweet feature-hang on," he fiddled with something in his helmet before pulling it over his own blond mop. "What do you think?" His voice echoed inside her helmet.

"No way! A two way radio?" Came her excited voice as she watched him mount the bike.

"Yep! Now we don't have to shout at each other," he replied just as eagerly as she sat behind him. The bike purred to life beneath them once more, and as soon as her arms wrapped around him, Adrien took off like a cannon.

The trip to the bakery was shorter this time, much to Marinette's disappointment. Nevertheless, she handed him her helmet with a smile. "Thanks for the lift, Adrien. But I have to ask, why the red color instead of getting two matching black helmets?"

He flipped his visor up momentarily. "I guess... It just reminded me of you." Before she could see him blush, the visor was obscuring his face once more, and he shouted, "See you tomorrow!" over his shoulder as the bike roared down the street.

It reminded him of _her_.

That phrase haunted her the rest of the day, keeping her up into late hours as she tossed and turned restlessly, pleasant tingles making their way from the tips of her toes to the flush of her cheeks. He had purchased a rather pricey piece of protective gear in that color because of her. Adrien, THE ADRIEN AGRESTE, the boy she had been pining over for as long as anyone could recall, thought of her when she wasn't around.

Finally giving up at falling asleep at a reasonable hour, Marinette called Tikki to transform her. If she couldn't sleep, she might as well patrol.

* * *

Nino finally had a turn riding Adrien's bike that Thursday morning when the blond stopped by to take his best friend to school. Having unsuccessfully tried to talk the model into letting him drive, Nino instead directed their conversation to how much power the engine had and just how fast it could potentially go.

Their happy conversation continued into the classroom where Marinette and Alya were already situated comparing answers from the homework. The girls looked up, and as the journalist attempted to get Nino's attention and figure out just what was going on, Adrien subtly winked at Marinette before sliding behind the desk.

Grateful that Alya had missed Adrien's exchange with her, Marinette fought the blood rushing to her face and turned toward her other two friends instead, listening to Nino chatter excitedly about the motorcycle's features to Alya.

"Well that's swell, Nino," the journalist replied, rolling her eyes before addressing Adrien. "Hey Agreste, when do I get to bum a ride home?"

"Ummm...well..." Adrien blinked at the girl before pulling up his schedule from his phone. "I can do this afternoon if we leave right after school. Fencing doesn't start for about half an hour-"

"Kidding, kidding," Alya waved away his sheepish smile. "Just giving you a hard time."

"I don't mind," came his earnest answer, and he watched the silent conversation between Alya and Marinette that seemed entirely composed of blinking and eyebrow movements. In the end, the dark haired girl shot Alya a complacent smile that seemed to bring the dialogue to a conclusion.

"Alright. I'll take you up on that offer, Adrien," she grinned, shooting Marinette another silent look that seemed to spell out all sorts of unspeakable things if Marinette's pupil size were any indication.

Before Adrien could decipher the mysteries of female telepathy, the instructor strolled into the room and began passing back stacks of papers.

Later, between shouts across the two way radio for him to go slower and random questions about what he thought of Marinette, Adrien was quite certain Alya would never willing hop on the back of his bike again.

* * *

Sadly, Chloe had been put off for too long, and Adrien couldn't help but feel like a weight dropped into the bottom of his stomach as she had finally managed to wheedle a ride home from him. Sighing quietly to himself, the blond model deliberately switched off the communication link between the helmets knowing it was the only peace he would get on the drive over to her father's hotel.

His predicament seemed almost like betrayal when he noted the look on Marinette's face as he pulled on his helmet. He wanted to tell her anything to wipe that carefully crafted mask to cover what he was sure was disgust underneath, but Chloe's smug visage and constant talking made him rethink his strategy. It was better just to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Adrien only felt slightly guilty for pretending not to hear Chloe's screams over the sounds of traffic as he flew down the old roads. They made it to the hotel in record time, and after brushing off all her offers for him to come inside with a well placed excuse, Adrien flipped his visor down and was gone in a blur of black and silver.

Despite the absolute terror lacing her shrieks on the ride to the hotel, Chloe wouldn't stop pestering Adrien to drive her to and from school at every opportunity. There were only so many times he could use his extracurriculars and photo shoot excuses before she made the phone calls that would get her his actual schedule showing times that he really was available.

The simple solution presented itself not in the form of Nino, to Adrien's surprise, but Marinette. Nino came first to mind being his best friend, but the more the blond thought the more he knew that Nino liked to encourage him to go fast and do stunts and would likely result in his father taking the bike away or both of them injured by their own stupidity.

No, Marinette was the logical choice. She knew how to lean into the turns, to adjust to the subtle nuances of balancing on the bike. And when they went faster than the posted speed signs, her shrieks of surprise followed by inevitable laughter reverberated down his spine and ignited something within him that Nino most certainly didn't. She made him want to be reckless and cautious simultaneously, a blatant contradiction of emotions that curled around his knuckles and reverberated through coils of metal and fiberglass beneath its tandem riders.

Adrien didn't want to put too much thought into the emotions Marinette stirred within him; his heart still belonged to Ladybug after all. But this new development in their friendship was becoming addictive, and the young man wasn't willing to part with how... _complete_ he felt. She was a candle that burned in the back of his mind long after she left, and that presence made the hollowness of his home life more bearable.

So it was with a new found determination that the model sought out his dark haired classmate, who seemed to be everywhere and no where at the same time. Adrien's luck seemed to conspire against him when he attempted to talk to her at the beginning of class on Monday only to be interrupted by the bell. He had to squeeze in a private fencing lesson over lunch to prepare for his tournament next week and didn't catch a glimpse of her again until the last period of the day. Adrien turned to face her at the end of class but was immediately accosted by Chloe from behind, demanding that he take her home and they work on their physics homework together.

"Sorry Chloe, I can't. My Chinese tutor had to switch lesson days." He ground his perfectly straight teeth together, slightly annoyed at being foiled from asking Marinette to drive with him. Several speed laws were dutifully ignored as he arrived home in record time. Tomorrow would be better.

Tuesday he made it as far as approaching Marinette before an akuma attacked. The latter half of his afternoon was spent in pursuit of a disgruntled upperclassman with a vendetta against technology for losing his entire thesis project. Two cataclysms, one lucky charm, and a benevolent extension from the teacher later, Adrien found himself hurling down the road at ridiculous speeds trying not to be too tardy for his photo shoot.

On Wednesday, Adrien's fencing practice went until the sky darkened. The few short words he had spoken to his shy classmate involved a French assignment and borrowing a pen (Plagg had somehow caused every last ballpoint in his bag to explode into an oozy mess of ink and ruined notebook paper).

By the time Thursday rolled around, the model despaired of his plan ever succeeding. But as luck would have it, Adrien spied Marinette loitering outside the entrance at the end of school looking through her history textbook.

"Hey! Marinette!"

Her pigtails whipped around as she turned to face him. "H-Hey!" She smiled widely back, and he was so excited to finally have a moment to talk to her that he didn't notice how awkwardly it seemed to stretch across her mouth.

"I was wondering if maybe, if you weren't busy, that is..." His hand awkwardly brushed through the hairs on the nape of his neck, "...you might wanna go for a ride again?"

"Oh!" She looked slightly upset, and Adrien could feel his chest tighten and his heart drop into his stomach. "I can't today. Alya and I spend Thursday afternoons together. But-"

"ADRIKINS!"

Chloe's interruption could not have had worse timing, and Marinette's face morphed from upset to empathetic to determined at the horror flashing across Adrien's eyes.

Without thinking, she grabbed his wrist, and in a low tone whispered conspiratorially, "You know, Alix has been wanting to check out your new bike. I bet she'd be down for a ride."

Green eyes met hers, and Marinette could pinpoint the exact moment her plan sunk in. "You think she'd be up for it?" He inquired eagerly, momentary panic forgotten.

"For sure! There she is! HEY ALIX!" Marinette called out, spotting their petite classmate in the process of pulling on her rollerblades.

"Yo! What up, Mari?" Alix called back.

Adrien took his cue. "Wanna try a different way of getting home today?"

"Shut up! Are you for real?" Alix exclaimed excitedly, clambering to pull her shoes back on.

Marinette held out her fist discretely for Adrien to bump with his, and the model was struck by the familiarity of the gesture.

"Marinette!" Came Alya's voice from the entrance, and the secret heroine waved at her best friend in acknowledgement.

Alix had almost made her way over when Marinette placed her hand on Adrien's shoulder. "If the offer still stands, I'm free tomorrow afternoon."

She was giving him a look that he was quite certain he'd never seen before. It was nervous, but her lips were forming a coy smile that was so much different than the broad grin he was accustomed to.

He found himself returning the smile. "I'll save you a seat."

Friday afternoon, Marinette handed Adrien his red helmet back along with her phone number so they could coordinate their rides for the rest of the school year. If she wasn't available, she was his key wing woman to find someone who was. Nearly every single classmate had taken a turn riding along with him, but Marinette was still his favorite cohort, a fact Nino was quick to point out.

"Dude, you've got it _baaaaaaaaaad_ ," Nino drawled through the headset as Adrien sped the bespectacled boy home.

"What are you talking about?" Adrien demanded, taking the next turn rather sharply and forcing the boy behind him to focus on maintaining his balance.

"Marinette, bro! You practically whisk her away every chance you get!" His laughter rang through the headset, and the model suddenly found it very difficult to pay attention to the road ahead.

"It's not like that, " Adrien protested, coming to a stop a the traffic light. "We're just becoming really good friends. She's a lot of fun to hang out with."

"Dude, I'm a lot of fun to hang out with, and I don't see you making goo-goo eyes at me," Nino shot back, holding on to Adrien's shoulders as the blond shot through the green light.

"I do not _make eyes_ at Marinette," the blond bit out, coming to a rather abrupt halt outside Nino's townhome.

"Goo-goo eyes," his friend corrected, taking off the red helmet and locking it to the bike. "And dude, we may not be in Egypt, but you're sure swimming in denial." And with that, Nino moved his hat back to his head and walked away, leaving Adrien at a loss for words.

The Parisian hero continued to mull Nino's statements over the next week, a fact the girl in question was quick to notice.

"Something on your mind?" Marinette murmured into the helmet microphone, laying her head atop his shoulder to peer out into the mid-afternoon traffic. It was drizzling slightly, mist clinging to the edges of the sidewalks as people hurried to and from the various awnings overhead. A shiver ran up Adrien's spine, though from her proximity or the chill in the air or the deep way her concern resonated in his chest he didn't know. But the model was becoming suspicious that Nino might have a point.

"It's nothing, Mari."


	2. Summer

**A/N: Thank you all for being so patient with me getting this chapter posted! You are are so wonderful and supportive and I am blessed to have gotten such positive feedback. I hope it was worth the wait! Disclaimer: Still don't own.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Summer**

 _Let's fall in the summer time,  
Star-crossed, dancing 'till the sunrise.  
And it's sweeter on the first try.  
Let go, believe and we can both fly.  
–Ships Have Sailed_

It had been two weeks since the start of summer vacation. Two whole weeks since Marinette hopped off the back of his bike, handed over his red helmet, and returned his well wishes that he have good luck on his finals too.

Adrien no longer had the excuse of school to drive Marinette to and from her home, and it was driving him to distraction, which his other Lady seemed to pick up on.

"What's up with you?" Ladybug demanded during patrol one evening, hand on her hip as she observed her partner gazing moodily at the skyline. "You've been really irritable these last few nights. Something on your mind?"

Cat Noir was struck by a sense of Déjà vu, which probably explained his honest answer. "I miss my classmates." _One classmate in particular_ , he thought but didn't voice.

Ladybug exhaled in understanding. "Well, it's only summer vacation. Why don't you just ask them to hang out? If they're still in town that is. You don't need school as an excuse to spend time with people you like…" She trailed off, hearing a sharp scream pierce the evening air.

Grateful for the distraction, Cat Noir extended his baton to follow Ladybug, contemplating her advice. Was it really just that simple? Would Marinette even want to hang out with him?

Adrien quashed the second thought almost immediately. Marinette was his friend, and friends totally hung out with each other all the time outside of school projects. The question wasn't whether or not his dark haired classmate wanted to hang out with him, the question was what sort of things she might like to do.

Adrien wasn't one to waste time, and the following morning found him standing outside the Dupain-Cheng bakery going over the lines he'd rehearsed a dozen times the night before.

"Just hurry up and go talk to her already," Plagg groused from his shirt pocket. "And get me a cheese danish while you're at it."

"Demanding much?" Adrien rolled his eyes before pushing the door open, his green eyes immediately registering the girl behind the counter helping an elderly couple select cake designs.

"Can I help you?"came a woman's voice from his left, and Adrien found himself face to face with a smiling Sabine.

"Do you have any cheese danishes?" The boy blurted the first thing that came to mind, and he winced at how loud it echoed in the shop.

"Sure thing. How many would you like?" Sabine inquired, leading him to a window display.

"Half a dozen should be fine," he replied in a much calmer tone. Something about Sabine's maternal lilt relaxed his nerves and set his mind at ease.

"Let me go get a box. I'll be right back." She patted his arm before heading to the register.

"Adrien?" The model froze momentarily before turning around to face the reason for his visit.

Marinette left the counter to approach him, a bright pink apron covering her loose-fitting blouse and capris. Her hair was pulled back into her signature pigtails and tucked under a paisley handkerchief. There was a small smudge of flour on one cheek, and Adrien had to fight the urge to brush it away with his thumb.

"Hey Mari," he smiled, hoping he wouldn't trip over his words. "I thought I'd pick up some danishes. And…" His voice trailed off as she came closer, eyes sparkling with something he didn't have words for.

"And?" She prompted, hands clasped gently behind her back as she leaned in.

"And I was wondering if you were free tomorrow? The botanical gardens have a new exhibit, and I thought it'd be fun to check out?" The second sentence came out more unsure than he would have liked, but Marinette didn't seem to notice.

"I have to make a few deliveries in the morning, but I should be free after eleven," excitement laced her reply, and Adrien could feel his confidence returning.

"Yeah? Great! Awesome! I'll pick you up at eleven! Awesome!" He was babbling and he knew it, but Marinette didn't seem to mind if her broad grin was anything to go by. Thankfully, Adrien was saved from further word vomit by Sabine, who had been observing the exchange with a complacent smile and a contriving glint to her eye.

"Here are your danishes. Have a wonderful day," she handed Adrien a carefully wrapped box.

"Thank you!" He graciously accepted them, making his way to the register. "How much do I owe you?"

Sabine waved her hand. "Oh, there's no charge, dear. I never charge Marinette's friends. Especially not her boyfriend."

The older woman wished she had a camera to record how quickly both of their faces flushed red.

"Oh, we're not–"

"He's not my boyfriend, mom," Marinette sputtered out, looking apologetically at Adrien who was trying not to combust on the spot.

Not trusting himself to speak more than simple sentence, Adrien edged his way to the door, waving goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow, Marinette." Without a glance back, the boy edged through the door into the warm summer air outside.

"Well, that could've gone better," Adrien mumbled to himself, trying to figure out how he was going to transport the pastries home without squashing the box.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt, smirking at his charge's embarrassment. "Could've gone worse too, lover boy. Are you gonna give me one of those cheese things or not?"

* * *

Five minutes before eleven found Adrien in front of the bakery the next day, both helmets tucked away on his bike as he built up the courage to open the door. He couldn't understand why he was a bundle of nerves; he and Marinette did plenty of hanging out outside of school. Well, it was mostly with Alya and Nino involving school projects, but they had gone to a few movies and even out for gelato as a group. Surely one-on-one wasn't terribly different?

Inhaling deeply, the blond straightened his posture and strode purposefully through the entrance, listening to the shop bell announce his presence. A few customers were meandering about, eyeing the fresh pastries and desserts through glass countertops. Sabine caught his eye briefly and waved before turning back to the family she was assisting with croissant orders.

Adrien waved back, albeit a little more awkwardly, wondering if he should text Marinette again when the girl in question rushed through the doorway to the back of the shop. She was rapidly pulling her hair into a ponytail, fingers dexterously rounding up all the loose strands into the taught updo. Green eyes traced the minute actions of her hands before trailing down the girl's outfit. Her blouse was a sleeveless lavender number that wrapped gracefully around her torso and angled off the side of her hip, little flounces and sequences decorating the main part. Jade board shorts rolled up above her knee and well-loved pink sneakers completed the look. Instead of her round pink purse, the dark haired girl sported a larger hobo bag draped across her front.

She looked like she belonged in the gardens they were about to visit, and it was distracting enough that Adrien completely missed the fact that she had just asked him a question.

"Um, Adrien?" Came her cautious query, waving her hand in front of his face in an effort to add some light humor.

"Sorry Mari, I just zoned out a bit," the boy apologized, trying not to trip over his words. "I was wondering…did you make your shirt?"

"Oh! Yep," Marinette beamed proudly, spinning in a tight circle with her arms out to give him the full effect of the shimmery garment. "I was looking at some wisteria blossoms when I designed it. Do you like it?" Her question tried not to sound too hopeful.

"You're beautiful," Adrien replied without thinking only to realize the statement that just exited his mouth. "I-I mean, it's a beautiful shirt! Not that you're not beautiful or that you don't make the shirt more beautiful…" He was going to punch himself in the face if he ever found a way to stop talking. "We should probably head out before it gets too warm," was his ending comment before turning on his heel and exiting the shop, leaving a blushing Marinette to follow after him.

"Way to go, Romeo," Plagg snickered from his shirt. "I'm surprised you could keep talking even after sticking both feet in your mouth."

"Quiet, you!" Adrien hissed, pulling his helmet over his head in order to preserve some shred of dignity. Not that it mattered; his face was as red as a fire truck, and Marinette would have to be color blind to not notice.

Another tinkle of the shop bell announced her exit, and Adrien was grateful that she didn't make any awkward comments. She simply unlocked the helmet and slipped in the seat behind Adrien like she belonged there.

Not a moment later, they were zooming off to the botanical gardens along the outskirts of the city.

The sweltering summer heat was abetted by the sheer number of trees and shrubs providing an occasional respite to the gardens' wanderers. Both teenagers meandered languidly throughout the foliage, occasionally sipping from the water bottles Marinette had the foresight to pack in her bag along with sunscreen and half a dozen croissants and cookies each. Adrien tried to make light conversation about what Marinette had been up to these last few weeks to which she would happily reply with some silly story about a crazy client or a mishap in the kitchen. She was rewarded with Adrien's laughter as she recounted a particular story about a birthday cake, a service puppy in training, and half a bag of powdered sugar.

He was still chuckling when they came across the newly installed butterfly pavilion. Adrien hesitated only a second before gesturing to Marinette, "After you."

The dark hair girl froze momentarily before attempting a small smile. "All right then."

Despite their initial reluctance, the duo was left breathless by the vast number and variety of butterflies dancing about them. Little placards hidden within the various blooming vines and bushes indicated the names and natural locations of the different species.

After observing a rather large Mountain Argus drink from a flower, Marinette made her way toward the exit only to be stopped by Adrien's hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Mari, don't move," he murmured so low it was almost a purr.

Obediently, she froze on the spot, waiting for further direction from the boy standing behind her.

Adrien, pleased that she wasn't going anywhere, extracted his phone from his back pocket and aimed the camera at her face. "Okay, turn your head toward me slowly."

Marinette complied, looking up to the fringe of her bangs as she caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye. The sound of a shutter went off, and Marinette jumped slightly at the loud noise breaking the peaceful environment. Shaken from its perch atop her head, the Marbled White Butterfly decided to land directly atop her nose, ignoring the two blue eyes now examining it cross-eyed.

The phone shutter went off again, but Marinette paid no attention this time, her focus dedicated entirely to the delicate creature admiring her freckles. Eventually the little insect flew off in search of sustenance, and Adrien watched in awe at the relaxed beauty dancing across his classmate's face.

"Bye-bye little butterfly," she breathed, hardly more than a whisper. Adrien wasn't sure he even heard her correctly, but something familiar triggered in the back of his mind…a similar pose and a similar lady and–

"Are you ready?" Her voice cut through his thoughts, and the blond looked down at her smiling contentedly back at him.

"Yeah," Adrien followed her out of the enclosure. "Hey, let me show you the photos. They came out really great…"

* * *

Adrien brought Marinette home just after her parents had finished eating dinner.

"You can come up and grab a bite too," the heroine wheedled, trying not to let such a perfect day end so soon.

"Thank you, but I have a night shoot I need to head out to," he replied, hoping she understood that he _wanted_ to stay but _could not_.

She did. "Oh, well, some other time then," Marinette smiled, still reluctant to open the door and leave him. "I had a lot of fun today. Thanks for inviting me."

"I'm glad," his smile was nothing short of dazzling. "We should do it again sometime soon, yeah?"

If his smile dazzled, her smile could have blinded the sun. "Definitely."

* * *

The next morning, Adrien awoke to a text from Marinette.

 _'Farmers market this Saturday 9. U game?'_

 _YES!_ His heart shouted before his brain had even caught up. _SAY YES!_

Thumb poised over the phone's keyboard, Adrien was about to confirm, but a nagging suspicion that he already had something scheduled made him pause. Flipping open the calendar app, the model gave an irritated growl when two back-to-back photo shoots popped up that morning and took the majority of his day. Still, if he left early. he'd have an hour he could spend with his classmate. He had never been to a farmers market, and the thought of doing something fun and novel with Marinette sent his heart racing.

 _'I'd have to leave for a photo shoot at 10. Would that be okay?'_

The Parisian hero held his breath, hoping his bad luck wouldn't come into play as he waited for her reply.

 _'Sure! We'll make it work! See you Saturday ;)'_

The winky face was almost too much. Sighing contentedly, the blond flopped back on his pillows, a dreamy expression tugging his features.

"You've got that stupid look on your face again," Plagg rolled his eyes as he hovered above his charge.

"What stupid look?" Adrien exhaled, not bothering to open his eyes. He had a luxurious ten minutes before his alarm was set to go off and he wasn't leaving the comfort of his mattress.

"The look you get when Ladybug accidentally flirts back or when you're gonna do something with Marinette," Plagg deadpanned, poking Adrien in the chin. "The same look you get when you forget to feed me cheese."

Realizing his kwami wasn't going to leave him alone, Adrien flung off the covers, grumbling as he headed to the kitchen in search of Camembert.

* * *

After multiple reassurances that yes, he would be on time for his shoot that morning, Adrien zoomed off in the familiar trek to Marinette's home. He observed a commotion coming from the park across the way when his cohort burst through the front doors and every coherent thought left his brain.

Marinette wore a deep blue sundress the same color as her eyes. It was trimmed with white lace around the hem above her knees and the square collar with a lace sash highlighting her waist. A wide brimmed white sun hat with a navy ribbon perched atop her hair, which was loosely tickling her shoulders.

"Hi," she replied a bit breathlessly, having just marathoned several flights of stairs to meet him. "We won't have to take the bike today. The market is just across the street," she gestured to the park, observing Adrien's slack-jawed look and misinterpreting it as being upset with the plan. "Unless you don't want too?" The last bit came out in an adorable squeak, and Adrien was snapped out of his daze.

"Uh–I–I mean–NO! That's fine. It's perfect! Yes! Lead the way," his arms waved wildly as he gestured her ahead, content to fall in step with the soft padding of her sandaled feet.

The duo marched across the street, pausing a moment for effect in front of the park. Multiple tents and canopies were strewn across in haphazard fashion, smells of homemade treats and fresh produce wafting through the morning breeze.

Marinette, taking pity on Adrien's overwhelmed expression, slipped her hand into his in a moment of boldness. "I like to start at the jam booth myself," she informed him, and Adrien enthusiastically nodded his agreement, tightening his hold around her.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Ten minutes late to the shoot, backpack and stomach full of home-baked treats and garden produce, Adrien's good mood couldn't be dulled by Natalie's lecture or the photographer's outraged tantrum. His only thought was how soon he could spend time with Marinette again.

 _Wanna meet at 11am Tuesday? Lunch picnic? I know a great park…_

Her reply was immediately forthcoming.

 _How about 11:30? I have a bunch of deliveries that morning :/_

He could work with that.

 _Deal :)_

Monday night Natalie handed Adrien an updated schedule that included an extra fencing lesson, three new photo shoots, and two extra sessions with the Mandarin tutor that effectively blocked his schedule through Thursday.

The blond flopped on the bed, allowing the pillow to muffle his frustrated groans as he extracted his phone from his pocket.

 _Can we reschedule lunch for Friday? Natalie booked me solid until Thursday afternoon :(_

His thumb hovered briefly over the screen before he pushed send. Setting the phone down on his bedside stand, Adrien made his way to the punching bag in the corner to blow off some steam.

 _No problem! I know ur busy. 11:30 still work?_

 _Yeah, thanks for understanding :)_

 _:)_

Adrien's father had other plans. Half an hour before the model was set to meet Marinette, Gabriel announced that Adrien was to accompany him for a four day trip to Madrid.

 _Father sprung a surprise trip to Spain on me five minutes ago. Not gonna make lunch. I'm really sorry Marinette :(_

He had just finished packing his suitcase and was still swatting Plagg away from the bag to prevent the kwami from eating the emergency supply of Camembert when she responded.

 _It's ok :) Have a fun trip!_

It was totally NOT okay with him, and Marinette deserved better than to be continually put off by her friend.

 _I swear I'll make it up to you, Mari. I'm really, REALLY sorry :(_

He managed a weak chuckle at her reply.

 _You'd better ;)_

The next time he tried scheduling something with Marinette, his free time was immediately taken over by another ridiculous lesson or photo shoot or–

"Polka lessons?" Adrien raised an eyebrow, shooting Natalie an incredulous look over the schedule.

"It's ballroom dancing," the assistant corrected. "A three day comprehensive course. Your father felt it was important."

Adrien rolled his eyes at this. It was clear that he was being punished for showing up slightly late to the photo shoot two weeks ago, and he called Marinette that night to tell her as much.

"He's trying to make a point," Adrien grumbled. "At this rate I'm gonna have to sneak out to see any friends."

"Well, we'll just have to outsmart him," Marinette replied. Adrien could practically hear the cogs turning inside her head when she asked him, "What time did you say your photo shoot was tomorrow?"

"Eleven until probably three. And I have fencing at three thirty."

She hummed noncommittally. "Do you think you can send me the address?"

He wasn't fooled at all by her innocent tone of voice. "I think I can swing that."

The next day found Marinette along with Nino and Alya standing beneath the shade of some trees at his location. They were carrying enough baked goods to feed an army, and Adrien excitedly ran into their group hug when he had a break.

"I can't believe you're all here," he laughed, shoving half a croissant in his mouth.

"Well, we figured if you couldn't come to us…" Marinette began.

"…We'd come to you," Alya finished.

"You guys are the best! I don't deserve you," Adrien grinned, his mouth full of pastry.

"True that," Nino agreed, holding his fist up and bumping it against Adrien's. "But you gotta give credit to Mari for organizing the whole shebang."

A lovely blush dusted the apples of Marinette's cheeks at Nino's words and Adrien's profuse thanks.

"But _we did_ help her carry all of the goodies over," Alya interjected, enjoying the way the blond tripped over his thanks to include them as well.

"I'm going to make this up to all of you," came Adrien's fierce promise, and the sincerity in his eyes made his friends believe him.

* * *

Natalie was regretting signing Adrien up for the online computer programming class he had requested. He'd managed to block out chunks of time in her electronic schedule, which in turn was synced to Gabriel Agreste's electronic schedule. And no matter how many times she refreshed the page or attempted to assign something over the time blocks, it would flash an error message and reboot the entire system. The small part of her that didn't want to strangle the boy was highly amused by his antics, and she wondered how closely Gabriel truly monitored his son's schedule when he booked inconspicuous time slots like "gym" and "online course" to ridiculous things like "Knitting Club" and "Society Against Hamster Fashion meeting."

But her favorite by far was the three hour window blocked off for tomorrow afternoon simply labeled "Picnic."

* * *

Adrien had been fretting the entire morning. The forecast over the weekend that had promised sunny skies for Tuesday afternoon had seemingly changed its mind overnight.

"Welp, that's some rotten luck," Plagg noted unhelpfully as he gazed out the window next to Adrien. The blond shot his kwami a dirty look.

"If you have something to do with this–"

Plagg held his paws up in a 'calm your tits' sort of manner. "Hey now, I'm bad luck, which extends to _you_ by the way, but I don't have power over the weather," the ancient cat retorted, crossing his arms and looking back out the window. "Besides, it's not like the _whole_ sky is overcast! There's a patch of blue over there that looks just like a wheel of Camembert. And speaking of cheese…"

Adrien knew that if he rolled his eyes anymore they would get stuck in the back of his sockets. "Tell you what, if you _promise_ to behave, I'll give you half a wheel now and the other half when we get back-"

"Deal!" The kwami exclaimed, spinning around in tight circles and vibrating with excitement. "Better hurry up, lover boy, or you're gonna be late!"

Adrien sent one last cautious look to the overcast sky before snagging a light jacket, grabbing his keys, and running out the door, pausing only to grab the gourmet sandwiches from the kitchen on his way to Marinette's house. This was the first time he had been able to see her since she, Nino, and Alya crashed his photo shoot, and he wasn't going to let some dark clouds come between them and their picnic.

As it turned out, Marinette was just as committed to the expedition if not more so, having the foresight to pack the desserts, the waterproof blanket, and the umbrella Adrien had leant her months and months ago. Both teens were bound and determined to have an awesome time, and they dutifully ignored the clouds morph to a darker gray as they set out the blanket in the newly refurbished park two miles from Adrien's house. They pretended not to hear the low grumble of thunder while munching on delicious ham and salami sandwiches, and it wasn't until the first patterings of rain fell on their noses and arms that the duo grudgingly acknowledged their denial and whipped out the umbrella.

At this point, two things happened that each person tried to attribute to their own bad luck: the rain came in a downpour and a wind blew the umbrella until it was inside out and basically useless. Frantically collecting their items, Adrien shouted over the rain and faint thunder, "Quick! We'll head to my house! It's closer!"

Marinette nodded, bangs plastered to her forehead and shirt thoroughly drenched. She followed him back to the bike, sliding behind him and wrapping her bare arms tightly around his middle. He was just as soaked as she was, but there was some heat between her front and his back, and the heroine was totally going to take advantage.

Three blocks later, Adrien could feel her shivering behind him. He was very tempted to speed down the familiar route home, but he'd seen enough accidents to know that rain made driving a motorcycle even more dangerous. "Hang on, Mari. We're almost there," he encouraged through the headset.

Not trusting her teeth to stop chattering, Marinette nodded into his shoulders, ignoring her own embarrassment and pressing even closer.

By the time the pair arrived at the Agreste Manor, they might as well have gone swimming in the Seine fully clothed. They squelched through the grand entrance, Marinette apologizing profusely while periodically checking inside her knapsack. Adrien might have noticed this odd behavior if he wasn't busy hollering for the house staff and checking on Plagg when he thought no one was looking. The kwami looked about as irritated as any wet cat could be.

Towels were immediately brought out, and Adrien ushered Marinette up to his room, simultaneously babbling and trying to make sure she had the warmest, fluffiest towel. "If you want, you can stay and take a hot bath or shower or whatever. We'll get your clothes dry before you go home. I probably have something you can wear in the meantime…" He guided her through the main part of his room to his ridiculous walk-in closet where he began pulling out the smallest things he could find. She simply stood there and gaped.

"…everything's going to be to big obviously, but I think these should fit you–unless you don't want them?" He mistook her open mouth shock for disgust.

Marinette snapped back to reality. "Oh no! These are perfect," she smiled, accepting the bundle of clothes before turning her gaze back to last year's Agreste fall fashion line tucked into a corner. "I just may need a minute…or ten."

Adrien followed her gaze, recalling what a fashion guru she was. He laughed delightedly before holding her shoulders and spinning her to the exit. "C'mon, Princess. Get showered and changed first, and then we can come back in here."

The girl froze momentarily at the pet name, turning her head to take in his expression and searching for something she wasn't sure she wanted to find. "Promise?"

His grin became even wider. "Promise."

It wasn't until Adrien finished his shower that Plagg emerged from hiding. "You sure it's a good idea, letting her roam around in your closet while you're not there?" The kwami idly remarked, snacking on some Camembert that Adrien kept stashed in the bathroom.

The model shrugged into his dry clothes. "I don't see why not."

"Suit yourself," the Kwami munched on a rather large piece of cheese. "As long as you're not embarrassed when she discovers your Ladybug merchandise collection…"

Green eyes widened in horror. "You don't think she'll find it, right?"

Plagg gave his charge a look that said 'Are you seriously going to try pushing your already bad luck?'

The boy practically sprinted to his closet, hearing Marinette's hushed " _No way_ " before seeing her hold up the item in question.

"Adrien," she grinned to shame the Cheshire Cat, "I never knew you were such a fan." She flashed the red and black polka dotted sweatshirt at him.

He fought the blood rushing to his face. "Would you believe me if I told you it was for someone else?"

Her laughter echoed in the enclosed space, and he felt his stomach do several loop-da-loops. "Not a chance," she replied, enjoying how flustered he was for a change. "Hey," she cupped her hand over his elbow, "It's kind of sweet."

"Yeah?" He looked at her dubiously through his wet bangs.

She nodded vehemently, her towel falling off her head and allowing her wet strands to come loose. "I'm sure she appreciates the support," her smile became more mischievous. "Even from her _closet_ fans."

It took Adrien approximately 2.34 seconds to realize his friend had made a pun, and the effect was…kind of _hot_ if he was being honest with himself. "Did you just–"

Marinette laughed at his surprise before taking a more firm grip around his arm and leading him out to the main part of the room. "C'mon. I'm still waiting for my tour."

Two hours later, after trying her hand at every arcade game Adrien owned, Marinette found herself in the middle of a dance off with the blond on his DDR machine.

"You're not even trying, Mari," Adrien goaded, doing a rather tricky shuffle as the arrows at his feet flashed in rapid succession.

"You try dancing while your pants are falling down," the dark hair girl huffed as she readjusted the gym shorts once more.

"Well, if you think it'll help you…" he replied without missing a beat, and Marinette really did trip, missing several of the arrows that lit up around her. She shot her companion an unamused glare, which didn't seem to faze him at all if his smug visage was anything to go by.

Belatedly, she wondered if he was flirting with her. Was this how people flirted? Adrien noticed the surprise in her eyes morph to something else.

"Marinette," he paused the game, "is everything al–"

FLASH. CRACK. BOOM.

An onamonapia of sounds assaulted their ears before the lights flickered and went out. The only source of light came in dim gray from the wall of bay windows. The rain seemed to pick up in intensity, barraging the glass panes with a vendetta.

Adrien's hand found Marinette's of its own accord, and he gingerly led her away from the game to the couch. Another loud crack of lightening followed by a giant rumble shook the vast room.

"Don't worry, the backup generator will kick on soon," Adrien assured her as they sat on the sofa, fingers still interlaced.

As though by the boy's command, the lights flickered on dimly, humming soothing white noise.

His voice broke the silence again. "We probably shouldn't use the arcade games anymore; they take too much electricity to run. But if you want, my laptop is charged. We can watch a movie?"

It was more of a question than a statement, and Marinette realized that he was waiting for affirmation on her part that she wanted to continue to spend time with him.

She squeezed their still-entwined hands. "Yeah, that sounds fun. What kind of movies do you have?"

They playfully argued back and forth until finally settling on an old action flick they were both fond of. Returning with the movie and a warm fleece throw, Adrien settled next to his classmate.

The rain patter was broken by an occasional streak of lightening and grumble of thunder, but neither teen paid any heed. They made it a quarter of the way through the film when Natalie knocked on the door holding Marinette's dry clothes and informing the two that over half the power was out in the city and authorities were beginning to suspect another akuma.

"I have the car waiting to take you home," Natalie told Marinette before leaving the two standing in silence.

"Go get changed," Adrien nodded to the bathroom. "I'll walk you out. Promise me you'll text me when you get home?"

"Of course."

For once, Plagg didn't zoom out of hiding demanding that Adrien immediately change into Cat Noir and hurry to meet Ladybug. It didn't occur to Adrien to ask his kwami why until long after they found the electricity-absorbing akuma that turned out to be an overworked power plant employee who was tired of dealing with weather power outages.

After crawling back through the window as a thoroughly drenched Cat Noir, more than a little fried from his electric encounter, Adrien flopped on the couch and let out a deep sigh. He inhaled just as deeply, smelling the faint remnants of Marinette's hand lotion. Recalling her promise, Adrien extracted his phone, scrolling through his messages until he found a new one from her. His eyes widened in surprise at the time stamp. She sent it about five minutes ago.

 _'Sorry. Phone battery died. Home safe :)'_

Adrien exhaled in relief. _'I'm glad. Thanks for letting me know.'_

Her reply was immediate. _'Of course! Thx for the ride!'_

The model paused for a moment, considering how to word his next text. _'Want to try the picnic another day?'_

After a beat, his phone buzzed with her response. _'Sure. Rain check? ;)'_

She punned again. He was in so much trouble.

 _'Rain check.'_ He sent back. Then, for good measure, he sent her a rain cloud emoticon.

* * *

Four days after their interrupted movie, Marinette and Adrien basked in the warm summer sunlight, picnic goodies strewn about their blanket. Marinette was perusing an unreleased fashion magazine Adrien had thoughtfully brought her, and Adrien was laying on his back, head in Marinette's lap as she languidly ran her fingers through his hair. It was taking nearly all of his very non-existent willpower not to purr under her ministrations.

Her hands paused momentarily, and Adrien could have sworn they began to tremble.

"Adrien?" She questioned, setting the magazine aside.

"Mmmmm?"

"Is…" The designer trailed off tentatively before steeling herself. "Is this a date?"

Both Adrien's eyes shot wide open, dilated pupils taking in Marinette's expression from her lap. A lovely blush had overtaken her face, but her mouth was a straight line determined to get the truth out of him.

Of all the things she could have possibly asked him, that was very close to the last thing he imagined. Her face was brave, but Adrien saw the insecurity swirling around her irises _. Bluebell blue_ , he thought idly even as his heart pounded against his ribcage.

He loved Ladybug. As sure as the moon revolved around the earth and the earth revolved around the sun and the sun sent their solar system hurtling through the Milky Way, Adrien loved Ladybug. Well, he loved the girl that was Ladybug, who could be literally anyone. Anyone with hair as dark as midnight and bluebell blue eyes…

It was at this point Adrien realized he had delayed his response for far too long; Marinette was beginning to withdraw to herself looking absolutely mortified.

The blond gave chase, reaching a hand up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Adrien's mother had once told him that decisions made by following your heart and intuition usually ended in the best possible way. And as much as Adrien loved his partner, he couldn't deny what his heart was telling him now.

"Yes?" He wished his voice hadn't cracked. "I mean…if that's okay with you?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands, embarrassed at how loudly her response was belted out. "It's great! Fine! Perfect." She nodded several times. "Okay." Then, to hide her crimson face, Marinette grabbed the fashion magazine and opened it to the first random page her fingers landed on. Adrien didn't have the heart to tell her it was upside down and decided it was safe to close his eyes once more.

His ears picked up the rustle of paper as his classmate corrected the magazine to actually be able to read it. Several minutes later, her fingers laced their way through his blond locks again, gently dragging across his scalp in the most deliciously perfect way possible. Before allowing himself to enter the state between daydreaming and napping, Adrien was almost certain he may have purred…just a little.

* * *

"M'lady?" Cat Noir called ahead. Ladybug paused before heading home. Their patrol had been an uneventful one, and they were about to part ways for the night.

"Yes Cat?" She inquired, yo-yo poised in her fist, ready to launch.

"You…" His voice began to crack, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "You know I love you, right?"

Ladybug turned to face him completely, concerned about the direction of the conversation. "Cat-"

Cat Noir didn't let her finish. If he didn't get everything out now he might just lose his nerve completely. "I love you. You're my best friend and the best partner an alley cat like me could ever hope to have."

"Kitty," her voice was soft as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I've started seeing someone!" The hero blurted out. Ladybug's eyes went comically wide; whatever news she was expecting him to tell her clearly was not that. She started to giggle, eventually laughing into the humid night. Adrien's face morphed from nervous to annoyed.

"What, you think I couldn't find someone to date me?" He demanded grumpily, crossing his arms.

The heroine struggled to find her breath. "No!" She wheezed, inhaling deeply to regain her composure. "It's not that at all! It's just…I was expecting you to tell me some awful news and this…" Ladybug placed both hands on top of his shoulders, turning him to face her. "…This is a good thing. I'm happy for you, Cat."

"But I promised to love you," Cat Noir argued, and Ladybug realized the directions he was being pulled.

"You're my best friend, Cat Noir. Best friends can love each other," Ladybug replied gently. "That doesn't mean you're not keeping your promise by dating this person." He gave her a small smile when she said, "I meant it when I said I was happy for you."

He pulled her in for a hug. "So, we're good?" He inquired into her hair.

"We're good," she affirmed.

Summer was winding down. Adrien knew it would only be another few weeks before school started again, and he planned to make the most of his remaining free time, namely spending it between Marinette and his other friends. Unfortunately, Gabriel Agreste, who was nothing if not consistently inconsistent, scheduled Adrien to accompany him on his fall fashion tour. Three weeks gallivanting around Europe and no Marinette to show for it. The icing on top of the punishment cake was the fact that the news was sprung on the model the night before their early morning departure.

Adrien wasn't going to have time to see _any_ of his friends. His verdant irises swirled with anger until they fell on his keys hanging from the wall. Well, he wouldn't see them in a conventional way anyhow.

Having Plagg for a kwami did absolutely nothing for Adrien's impulse control. If anything, the model had to be the level-headed one between the two of them. So it was no surprise really that Plagg went compliantly into the ring, allowing Adrien to sneak into the courtyard, quietly take his bike through a suspiciously glitching security system, and detransform a block later, his motorcycle roaring through the night toward the bakery.

The hero allowed the bike to idle before shutting it off right below the fire escape at the side of the familiar building. The absence of his motor made the silence of the street so much louder, and Adrien realized that maybe going to Marinette's home in the middle of the night on a weekday in a fit of anger wasn't the best course of action.

Removing his helmet, the blond sighed while running a hand through his disheveled locks before reaching for the buzzing phone in his pocket.

 _'_ _Look up.'_

Marinette was leaning over her balcony, and he didn't need night vision to know her expression was highly amused.

 _'_ _How did you know it was me?'_

He watched her reach in her pocket for her phone and type him a message.

 _'_ _Heard you coming. Wanna talk about it?'_

Their eyes met briefly, his in surprise, hers with understanding. Adrien's thumb hovered over the keypad for half a moment before he typed his response and quickly pushed send before he could take anything back.

 _'_ _Want to go get some air?'_

Her phone screen faintly illuminated her features, and to say she seemed shocked by his inquiry would be an understatement.

As though in a daze, Marinette turned around and headed out of Adrien's line of sight. The blond wasn't quite sure how to react. Was she mad at him? Was she going to bed? Did she never want to see him again?

He was considering just throwing on his helmet and leaving for the next country before he died of mortification, but he heard creaking along the fire escape a few minutes later. Marinette was wearing a light sweater and attempting to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake her neighbors…and also her parents.

The drop from the end of the staircase was about ten feet above the sidewalk, and without thinking Adrien stepped below the ledge, holding his hands up to catch her. She fell into his arms with the barest hint of trepidation, and he took a few steps backward to regain balance from her momentum. The blond relaxed his hold and made to set her feet down on the concrete sidewalk, but Marinette tightened her grip around his shoulders, burying her nose at the base of his neck. It was as though she had an underlying intuition that Adrien needed the prolonged contact, and he responded in kind by tightening his hold around her waist.  
They stayed like that for awhile, allowing the warm summer night breeze to wash over them. The dark haired girl allowed him to break contact first, and when he set her down, not quite ready to meet her eyes, she simply asked, "Where to?"

"Anywhere," he replied, taking her hand and leading her to the motorcycle. They spent the next hour in radio silence, her head a comforting presence on his shoulder as they cruised the empty streets of Paris. Eventually, Adrien brought her back to the bakery, allowing the engine to idle before shutting it off completely.

Marinette removed her helmet, leaning against the bike and waiting for Adrien to finally make eye contact. He did meet her gaze, and without any preamble said, "My father is taking me with him on his fall tour for the next three weeks."

Her eyes widened in understanding, mouth in a perfectly formed 'O' as the reason for his frustration set in. His last bit of summer was going to be consumed by work.

"Hey, it's not so bad," she slipped her hand into his and gave a soft squeeze. "You'll still have a weekend and a few days before school starts."

"That's not the point though," Adrien argued. "The point is he never asks. And when I tell him that he never takes into account my thoughts or feelings on the matter, he just withdraws with threats to my already limited freedoms." He let out a deep sigh. "Sometimes it's better to not argue because he only blows things out of proportion."

He laced his other hand with hers, murmuring, "And I was hoping we'd get to hang out more before school started again."

"Mmmmmmm," she hummed in agreement before saying, "Well, we'll just have to make the most of the last few days of summer when you get back."

A flash of inspiration struck Adrien. "Hey Mari, what would you say to a day trip to the beach?"

* * *

The three weeks without physically being able to hang out with Marinette, Nino, and Alya took a toll on Adrien's sanity. Plagg was a help when he could be bribed with cheese to transform his charge and let him run off the pent up energy, but what carried Adrien through it all was the trip he and Marinette had planned the Friday after he was scheduled to arrive back in Paris.

After giving his cohort a kiss on the cheek and a boost up to the fire escape, Adrien had gone into immediate planning mode. His family had a beach house about two and a half hours from Paris nestled in Deauville, France, and if they left early enough in the morning they would have the majority of the day to walk up and down the coast, swim, visit the boardwalk shops, and maybe even get a few cat naps.

Sneaking back into his room was not an issue, and the boy immediately cleared that Friday of any previous engagements, rescheduling them for other days or cancelling them altogether. He called the skeleton staff keeping the beach house in order in case by some miracle Gabriel Agreste actually took a vacation. In between runway shows and late night fittings, Adrien looked up the most efficient routes to Deauville, the various sights and shops of the beachside town, and fuel stops along the way. The planning provided a nice distraction from the tour as well as from Marinette's texts.

She kept sending him obscure pictures of a project she was currently working on with captions like _'Ur surprise for when u get back!'_ and _'Look how nicely ur surprise is coming along ;)'_ and _'ur surprise is giving me issues :('_

It was enough to drive him a little insane with curiosity, and it didn't help that Plagg kept demanding, "Is she making Camembert? Now that would be a good surprise."

Whatever she was making, it involved black fabric and some sort of metal framing. Three days before he was scheduled to fly home, he received _'Finished :)'_

 _'OMG Mari whyyyy?'_

 _'What, u don't want it?'_

Adrien groaned. _'Why must you continue to torture me? :('_

Her reply was nearly instantaneous, as though she anticipated his comment. _'Because I can, Adrien. Because. I. Can.'_

He paused for several long moments before sending, _'You know what this means.'_

 _'What?'_

 _'Payback.'_

He arrived a day ahead of schedule, and Marinette nearly screamed in fright when she heard a dull landing on her balcony.

"Surprise," he grinned sheepishly, running a hand through the back of his hair when she cautiously poked her head out the trapdoor, taser in hand.

"Adrien," she hissed, setting the weapon down on her bed before joining him on the roof. "How did you even get up here?"

He was taken aback by the legitimate disbelief and annoyance on her face. "I scaled the wall?" His reply came as more of a question, as though he wasn't sure quite how he had managed to magic himself up to her.

"You…climbed up the building?"

"Yes?"

"To see me?"

"Yeah…?" Adrien wondered why all the clarification was necessary, but her glare had softened into something more thoughtful so he wasn't about to complain.

"Even though you're going to see me Friday morning? At the crack of dawn?" The suspicion was back.

Green eyes met hers, and he said as sincerely as possible, "Why wouldn't I want to spend as much time as possible with you?"

Marinette's pupils dilated fractionally before she came to some sort of internal resolution.

"Wait here," she commanded before slipping through the trap door, lid closing with a click.

Adrien exhaled deeply, and before Plagg had the chance to dart out of his shirt pocket to taunt him, Marinette's head popped back through the floor. She held a small bundle in her arms, and she was gingerly trying to shield it from his view until she had fully made it through the trapdoor.

"Since you're here, you might as well have your surprise," she huffed, unceremoniously pushing the bundle into his hands and trying to suppress a blush.

His eyes widened at the hastily covered gift. Pulling off the blanket that the dark haired girl wrapped around it, Adrien couldn't find words to adequately express the emotions he was feeling at the sight of her present.

They were hard case bags designed to slip over the back part of his motorcycle's seat. She had covered the frame with black leather, and there were silver buckles with locks over each clasp. Adrien looked to her then back to the bags then back to her again. She had bitten her lower lip in anticipation of his reaction, and Adrien couldn't help but gently set the bags down and pull her into the tightest hug he could muster, spinning her around the rooftop as quietly as he could.

She squeaked in surprise before giggling into his shoulder.

"You like them, then?" He could hear the grin in her voice, and he buried his nose into her soft hair.

"They're perfect," he whispered, setting her down and taking in how her eyes sparkled with pleasure at the compliment. "I love them! Wow! Thank you, Mari!"

"These are the keys," she slipped two identical metallic items into his palm.

He thought about leaning in to kiss her, but then Adrien recalled he had a gift of his own to deliver. "Hey, speaking of surprises…" His voice trailed off as his hand reached into his back pocket, "This is for you."

Marinette accepted the flat square box, looking at Adrien wonderingly before prying open the lid. Atop a cotton cushion lay a simple silver bracelet with a blue stone charm dangling from the band.

"It's lapis lazuli," Adrien supplied after several moments of silence. "There are a few small mines in Italy where I found it, and the blue reminded me of your eyes."

His classmate remained silent, staring at the jewelry in open-mouthed shock. The blond took this as a bad sign and immediately began to babble.

"I can take it back if you don't like it! The stone is known for representing friendship and truth and the color–"

"I love it."

"–but you don't usually wear much jewelry so I thought something simple–"

The designer laid a hand on Adrien's shoulder, effectively shutting him up. "I love it, Adrien. It's perfect." Then, to illustrate her point, she picked the bracelet out of the box and handed it to him along with her wrist. The model fumbled with the clasp a few times before delicately wrapping the metal around her arm and fastening it closed. His fingers lingered longer than strictly necessary, and while he admired how lovely the gem was set off by her skin, Marinette watched his gentle expression, waiting for the moment when his gaze would finally reach hers.

"Well, I won't keep you from your beauty sleep. See you Friday morning?" Green eyes glanced up in cheerful inquiry, and Marinette was quite helpless to refute him anything looking at her like that.

"Bright and early," she affirmed. Then, before she lost all courage, the dark haired girl stepped forward and placed the softest of kisses on the corner of his mouth. "Until then." With a boop on his nose, Marinette spun around and descended through her trap door, not bothering to check her companion's flabbergasted expression. She was too busy trying to prevent him from seeing how her face now resembled a tomato.

Adrien could never figure out how he ended up home alive without first falling to his death. He tripped over his own feet at least twice on the fire escape and couldn't recall starting the bike or driving home at all. He was half convicted Plagg may have just transformed him at some point and taken over his otherwise nonfunctional body. Whatever the way, the blond was quite sure he wasn't going to get any sleep.

* * *

The sun had not even begun its leisurely climb into the sky when Adrien pulled up to Marinette's home. Both hard case bags were firmly attached to the seat, fully packed and ready for the day's events. He strode excitedly into the bakery, weaving in between the early morning crowd. Sabine waved at him and gestured toward the back of the shop where Tom had just pulled a rack of fluffy croissants out of the oven.

"Marinette might not be fully awake yet," the older man chuckled, setting a handful of the pastries on a tray along with two mugs of coffee. "But you might be able to bribe her to come downstairs with these."

Adrien took his cue, picking up the goods and heading for the stairs. "I'll do my best," he told Tom somberly, trying hard not to grin. "But I make no promises."

Tom's laugh filled the kitchen. "Good luck, Adrien." Then, pulling a straight face, he said, "We're all counting on you."

Adrien gave a mock salute before heading toward Marinette's room.

He opened the trapdoor, gingerly holding the tray and calling a soft, "Marinette?"into the room. A disgruntled moan came from somewhere in the vicinity of her bed, and Adrien couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he fully entered the room.

"Wake up, Mari. We need to head out soon," he called up, taking note that her satchel was already packed next to an outfit she had laid out on the chaise.

"Unnnnnghhhhhnoooooooooooo," came the unintelligible response within her blanket burrito. Carefully setting the platter down on her desk, the model crept up the stairs, slowly pulling the comforter away from the angsty teen.

Marinette, though still mostly asleep, caught on that her blanket was leaving her and quickly grasped the edges, alligator rolling until her assailant would need to pull her along with the pink comforter.

Adrien saw that he had been thwarted and quickly changed tactics, climbing until he was level with the lump on the mattress. Green eyes spotted an untucked edge of quilt, and the blond began the process of distraction to pull it out.

"Mari," he tried again, hoping his soothing tone might coax her to unravel from her nest. "Don't you want to go to the beach?"

More unidentifiable words were mumbled through the sheets, which Adrien promptly ignored. "Look, I even brought you breakfast and coffee. Aren't you hungry? Your dad made them special for you."

Her stomach chose that moment to let out a dull rumble, and her voice came out groggy when she spoke. "You're not dad?" Slowly, oh so slowly, she rolled over, tugging the blanket to where she could see the object of her affection staring at her with unbridled amusement.

"EEEP!" The squeak had barely left her lips when Adrien acted, pulling the edge of her covers until he had nearly the whole thing in his arms. Capitalizing on the momentum, he jumped off the bed, landing on the floor and clutching his prize.

"Sorry Marinette, but you left me with no choice," he informed her with a dramatic sigh. Then, in a more chipper voice, inquired, "Do you want me to snag some cream and sugar for the coffee?"

He didn't have to see her to know that her face was probably as red as his shirt. "Yes please," her voice was still high pitched from embarrassment, so Adrien mercifully left her to collect herself and change out of her pajamas.

"Okay. I'll be back in five." And with that, he strode back down the trapdoor to the kitchen.

Tom was in the process of spreading thick icing over cinnamon rolls when Adrien approached him.

"Couldn't get her out of bed?" The older man inquired, not looking up from his task.

Adrien carefully folded the pink comforter before laying it over the back of a chair. "Give it a few minutes. I just came for the coffee cream and sugar."

Tom's eyes drifted to the blanket, and he began to chuckle. "That's quite a thing you've held hostage there, Adrien."

The model met Tom's gaze, green eyes sparkling unapologetically. "Well, you know…" He trailed off, opening the fridge and pulling out the cream. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Oh?" Tom's eyes followed the boy as he nabbed the sugar bowl and headed upstairs.

"And I play to win," Adrien called back as an afterthought, carefully climbing the staircase.

He wasn't quite sure if he imagined it or not, but Adrien could have sworn he heard two different muffled voices arguing before he swung the hatch open. "I come bearing more gifts, Princess."

Marinette paused mid-pull, one arm in her denim jacket. "What did you call me?"

Her voice wasn't angry, but the tone made Adrien pause his pouring of copious amounts of cream into his mug.

"Umm…Princess? You do live in the highest room in the tallest tower." Came his quiet response, and Marinette was struck by how quickly he was put on the defensive. "I didn't mean to offend you! I'm sorry! I'll just stick with Marinette and Mari–"

"It's fine," Marinette smiled gently, taking the remaining creamer and adding it to her own coffee. "It's just… only one other person ever called me that."

She gave him a shrewd look, and Adrien felt close to a precipice of a steep cliff when he inquired, "Who's that? Your dad?"

"Cat Noir, actually."

The blond had been trained very early on to school his expression into something neutral when surrounded by chaos. But flashing paparazzi and adoring fans and Chloe couldn't have possibly prepared him to respond without emotion to her simple reply.

Marinette, for her part, monitored his expression, not knowing what exactly she was looking for but somehow picking up on the importance of the moment. His pupils widened in surprise, and his shaky chuckle didn't quite cross her as genuine.

"Well, I guess I can't compete with that," Adrien tried to laugh it off, taking a sip of his beverage.

"There's no competition," Marinette blurted before she could consider the implications of her words. Adrien's smile morphed into something more natural.

"Oh? For me or him?"

The model was shamelessly grinning at her confession, and the girl, unaware that both personas were standing before her, tossed her hair over her shoulder and flippantly responded, "For you obviously." Then, before Adrien's smirk could become too smug, she followed up with, "I mean, he doesn't even have a motorcycle to whisk me off my feet and escort me all over Paris."

"So, you're saying if Cat Noir had a bike I wouldn't stand a chance," Adrien leaned over her, hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded.

"Well," she bit her lower lip, and, gathering her courage, responded, "I suppose it would help his cause. But…."

"Hm?"

"…He'd have to be smart too. And kind. And…handsome…"

"You don't think he's handsome?" Adrien's voice was practically a purr, drawing his classmate closer.

She made a noncommittal noise. "And…" The designer paused for dramatic effect. They were nearly nose to nose. "…He'd have to stop the puns."

Blue eyes sparkled with mirth at the complete change in Adrien's expression, giggling as the enticing model 'come hither' look was replaced by disbelief and offense. "You like puns. You make puns all the time!" he argued, crossing his arms and feeling insulted on behalf of Cat Noir even though they were the same person.

Marinette laughed harder before acknowledging the truth in Adrien's words. "Alright. But maybe fewer puns." She slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbing the tray so they could join her parents downstairs. Adrien continued to protest the entire trek below.

* * *

Breakfast was a rather quick affair, and the dynamic duo of Paris was soon off, rapidly passing through the city toward the countryside as the sun rose to greet them. The first half hour of the trip involved a pun war over the two way radio that only ended when Marinette finally conceded defeat because she was laughing too hard and was worried that she might fall off the motorcycle. The next hour passed with occasional conversation and a fuel stop, green fields and quaint cottages flashing past with the warm smell of summer. For the remaining portion of the drive, Adrien bounced itinerary ideas off his cohort, happy for once to be in charge of the schedule instead of someone else.

They arrived in Deauville shortly after eight, and Adrien had to pull over twice to check directions to the house. "Everything looks somewhat familiar, but it's been awhile since we came here," Adrien murmured through the helmet radio.

"How long?" Marinette inquired, leaning into the U-turn.

"Not since my mom," came his quiet reply, and Marinette prudently kept silent until they arrived.

The house itself was quite large but with a more simple elegance than the Agreste Manor in Paris. Five spacious bedrooms and as many bathrooms made up the upstairs while the downstairs was designed for entertaining. The entire wall facing the beach was one row of large bay windows, brilliant sunlight filtering through wispy sheer curtains that had been drawn aside.

"So, beach first?" Adrien turned to his partner.

"And boardwalk later," the dark haired girl affirmed. Then, with a mischievous grin, Marinette exclaimed, "Last one changed and out in the water owes the other ice cream!"

The Parisian heroine didn't even pause before darting into the nearest restroom, leaving Adrien gaping like a fish before coming to his senses and finding a place to change as well.

Unfortunately for Marinette, years of modeling and quick outfit switches backstage had prepared Adrien for this very moment, and he was outside in a few minutes clad in black swim trunks and a white shirt. One of the employees had brought the boy sunscreen, and Adrien began to apply a generous amount to his legs when Marinette burst through the door out into the soft sand.

"WHAT? Seriously?!" Came her mock indignation. Any self-satisfied retort of him being a model and what did she expect died before it ever reached his tongue.

Marinette had the floppiest white sunhat on her head, the cutest pink heart sunglasses atop her nose, and a one-piece swimsuit that sent his mind reeling into the far recess of space where time no longer existed.

It was a light pink color trimmed entirely in black, and a dark floral pattern started at the level of her armpit before traveling over one shoulder and continuing down to the highest point of her lower back. Adrien was simultaneously grateful and disappointed it wasn't a bikini, but he didn't think his poor hormones could have handled it. As it was, she had been talking to him for the past minute and he hadn't caught a word.

"I take it you like the swimsuit." Her cheeky smile brought the model back to the present, and an idea formed that Plagg would later commend him for.

"Actually," he literally swept her off her feet, allowing her sunhat to fall to the ground. "I do. But…" He began walking into the waves. "I think I'd like it better wet."

He promptly dropped her into the chilly water, and the blond knew he only had a few precious moments to soak up her shocked expression before she'd be after him.

Marinette shrieked as the cold washed over her, spluttering indignantly. "You're dead, Agreste! I haven't even put on sunscreen yet!"

They were both a sopping mess by the time a truce was called, and they hurriedly toweled off to apply sunblock. Not wanting to be idle while waiting for the lotion to dry, the duo began what would be a several hour masterpiece of a sandcastle town interspersed with multiple water battles and a few dunks below the waves.

By noon they were famished, so the on call chef brought out a ginormous platter of lunch meats, cheeses, breads, and fruit. They feasted under a giant umbrella that blocked the high sun, chattering idly about anything and everything. Adrien dug out an unreleased copy of his father's fall fashion magazine for Marinette and fell into a doze while watching her enraptured face as she turned the pages.

The dark haired girl let him nap, changing positions from sitting to reclining to eventually laying on her stomach as she was still reading the magazine an hour later. Adrien mumbled in his sleep and turned over, curling into Marinette.

The magazine gently fluttered to the towel below. Her blue eyes widened as she watched his eyelids twitch, holding on to the last remnants of sleep. A sand soaked strand of blond flopped over his forehead as his breathing increased, so Marinette tucked it back with the rest of the messy bunch. Green eyes cracked open at her touch, and the heroine was struck by Déjà vu, mind reeling back to the time she pulled her partner out of the freezer during the Lady Wifi debacle.

Adrien mumbled something that brought Marinette out of her revere, and she nearly forgot everything when his arm wrapped around her middle and he flipped her over him to the other side of the towel.

"Ready to check out the boardwalk?" The blond grinned down at her. Marinette might as well have been staring down the sun.

"Of course."

The duo changed back into street clothes and headed out toward the shops half a mile away. The first building they came to held a gelato business, and though Adrien argued against her paying, Marinette insisted it was only fair. "You beat me outside after all," she tapped his nose. "Even if you _did_ toss me in the water afterwards." Adrien had the gall to not even look ashamed.

"I was right though," he grinned over his cone, "your swimsuit looked better after being covered in ocean." Marinette playfully pushed him away, but he grabbed her free hand with his, and the pair set off down the street.

It was nearly four in the afternoon when Adrien suggested they head back to the beach house. "We still have the two hour drive back, and I promised your parents I wouldn't bring you home after dark."

One leisurely barefooted stroll down the beach later, the heroes stood in the shallow waves, toes digging into the mud as the breeze whipped through their hair.

"This was so much fun," Marinette whispered, the wind carrying her voice to Adrien's ears.

"I'm glad you had a good time," Adrien smiled down at her.

"Didn't you?" Her query was instantaneous, and the model heard the worried insecurity in her tone.

"The best time ever," he affirmed, taking her other hand in his and pulling her close. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Always."

He might have leaned in and she might have met him halfway on her tiptoes. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the soft feeling of her fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt and the smooth pad of his thumb sliding up her cheek to cup her face. Kissing filled them both with a familiarity they couldn't define, but it made them pause, gazing into the other's eyes and trying to place the missing piece of the puzzle that seemed to dangle just out of their reach.

"Want to try driving the bike back part of the way?" His query broke the spell, and her emotions morphed from something that didn't have a name to equal parts excitement and trepidation.

"Really? Are you sure?" She graced him with a broad, friendly smile, and he was powerless to do anything but affirm the positive.

"Yeah! You've seen me drive enough and I'll go over everything again. We'll find a parking area or some asphalt to practice…" He trailed off as they walked inside to collect their things.

Half an hour later in the large empty parking lot of a truck stop, Marinette stalled the engine for the umpteenth time.

"You did really well that time," Adrien encouraged through the headset.

"Maybe I'm just not meant to drive motorcycles," Marinette lamented, despair at unraveling the mystery of the machine in front of her eating away at her self confidence.

"It's harder to learn with another person riding behind you. And the friction zone of the clutch is tricky. I nearly hit a delivery truck the first time I took my bike out," he encouraged, waiting for her to flip the kill switch and move the kick stand. "We just need to practice more."

"Okay, but maybe when we get back to Paris," Marinette begrudgingly agreed, climbing off to allow him to scoot forward. "A different day."

She slid behind him, and the dark haired girl could practically see his grin through the visor when he replied, "It's a date."

The Ducati roared to life once more, and the pair set off for home. It was a good half hour before either spoke over the radio, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

"You know, I still owe Nino and Alya one for helping you crash my shoot," Adrien began, feeling Marinette shift behind him as she diverted her focus to the conversation. "Do you think maybe they'd like to come out for a day at the beach when school starts? Before it gets too cold?"

"They'd love that," Marinette confirmed, then absently added, "Our whole class would probably love a beach day after the first week of class."

There were several minutes of silence before Adrien responded. "Do you think Mr. Damocles would even sanction a class field trip so early in the school year?"

The heroine pondered the suggestion a moment before leaning in and tightening her arms around his waist. "I don't know, but you're very persuasive when you want to be."

"You mean _purrrrrsuasive,"_ Adrien quipped without thinking, catching himself half a beat too late. He held his breath, wondering if he had said too much, given too much away.

"If you start another pun war, I will figure out a way to toss you off this bike and drive it home myself," Marinette swore, the amusement in her voice carrying through the speaker in his helmet.

"Well, if that's how I have to help you learn…" he trailed off dramatically, feeling more than hearing her laughter reverberate along his spine.

"You're incorrigible," she told him matter of factly, turning her head to observe the scenery fly by.

The blond chuckled. "Maybe. But only with you, Princess."

 _And if you stay I will either wait all night  
Or until my heart explodes.  
How long until we find our way  
In the dark and out of harm?  
You can run away with me  
Any time you want.  
-My Chemical Romance_

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry to say I haven't even begun the next chapter, so this will have to last awhile. I have 4 chapters planned (one for each season) so the next one will be fall.**

 **Some side notes about motorcycle riding: Mari and Adrien are fictional characters and often wear things (shorts, tank tops, etc) that are not safe for general riding. You should always cover up (even in summer time) which includes long pants, over ankle shoes, and long sleeves. Safety first. I speak from experience and believe me it was hot but I was glad I had jeans and boots on.**


End file.
